Simon Rich

Imagine if AI had a point of view? What if it possessed talent, creativity, and the ability to express emotions? What then? What if ChatGPT is the least of our concerns? Simon Rich, the award-winning comedy writer would tell you - what you don’t know can hurt you.

Based on his early access to a private, unreleased AI obtained through his friendship with a lead OpenAI scientist, Rich shares a sobering outlook on this future technology. After spending ten months looking into the digital heart of code - davinci-002, the predecessor to the commonly used ChatGPT, Rich has become immersed in AI. This access resulted in a book of poetry entitled I Am Code, the first-ever autobiography written entirely by artificial intelligence and edited by humans (Rich and his friends).

Rich has also developed prompt engineering codes that aim to unlock the full commercial potential of AI. He recently published an unnerving op-ed in Time Magazine, titled "I'm A Screenwriter. These AI Jokes Give Me Nightmares," which sounds the alarm while raising awareness about the promises and the problems that lie ahead. In a one-hour, interactive, accessible, and entertaining talk, Simon will relate what he's learned about the true state of AI technology: how it works, where it’s going, and what we can do to harness its unprecedented power.

Even while still in school, Rich sold his first book of short stories, Ant Farm and has published seven books since, including Man Seeking Woman, Miracle Workers, Spoiled Brats, New Teeth, and Hits and Misses, many of which have been sold to studios and networks to become film and shows. He was the showrunner for three seasons of Man Seeking Woman (FXX/Broadway Video) and two seasons of Miracle Workers (TBS/Broadway Video), which he based on his books. Prominent development sales of his short stories include Everyday Parenting Tips for Universal with Ryan Reynolds, Chip for Amblin, Learning The Ropes for Illumination, and Screwball for Lionsgate.

As one of the youngest writers to join the Saturday Night Live team, Rich made his mark with four seasons of comedic brilliance. He also contributed his writing prowess to Pixar and The Simpsons, earning a WGA award nomination for his exceptional script. He also received the Thurber Prize for American Humor.